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NASA Funds High School Student Robotics Program

NASA funds a nationwide high school robotics competition that provides students the opportunity to engage with engineers and technology experts for hands-on, realistic exposure to engineering and technical professions. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is providing up to $20 million over the next five years to support a national program to inspire student interest in science, technology and mathematics with a focus on robotic technology.

The funding is part of a cooperative agreement with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a nonprofit organization in Manchester, N.H. FIRST provides students the opportunity to engage with government, industry and university experts, including those at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for hands-on, realistic exposure to engineering and technical professions.

"This is the largest NASA-funded student program geared toward robotics activities," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "For the next five years, approximately 25,000 students across the country will not only learn from our nation's best and brightest, but also compete and have fun at the same time."